NPR 2011-03-21

The chair of the US Joint 1 Chiefs of Staff says a no-fly zone is now in place over the Libyan rebel stronghold of Benghazi. But as NPR's Jennifer Ludden reports, he admits the US and its allies could be in for a long haul.

Although President Obama has said Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi must step down, his ouster is not the official aim of this weekend's military action. Instead, Adm. Mike Mullen tells CNN he expects Gaddafi to face increasing pressure.

"He is more and more isolated 2 internationally than he's ever been. There are heavy sanctions which have been put in place, which would include an ability now in the arms embargo 3 to essentially 4 board ships at sea, which is a new very aggressive part of the United Nations Security Council resolution."

Mullen says the US will work to jam Gaddafi's communications and sever 5 supply lines to his troops. But he admits any political end game is uncertain. Jennifer Ludden, NPR News, Washington.

Muammar Gaddafi's son says the international coalition 6 against Libya has it all wrong. Saif al-Islam Gaddafi says the rebels are the enemies.

"Simply the Americans and the other Western countries, you are supporting the terrorists."

Joint Chiefs Chairman Mike Mullen tells NBC's "Meet the Press" the operation could achieve its stated goals without forcing Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi from power.

"It isn't about seeing him go. It's about supporting the United Nations resolution, which talked to limiting or eliminating the — his ability to kill his own people."

In comments broadcast by state television, Gadaffi is vowing 7 a long war.

President Obama plans to continue his five-day trip to Latin America despite American missile strikes in Libya. NPR's Ari Shapiro is traveling with the president and reports Mr. Obama's attention is divided in this trip.

Members of the president's national security team are traveling with him on his trip. They are briefing him on Libya in between family outings to tourist sites and visits with foreign heads of state. President Obama insists that America's military involvement will be limited.

"I am deeply aware of the risks of any military action, no matter what limits we place on it. I want the American people to know that the use of force is not our first choice, and it's not a choice that I make lightly."

This is President Obama's first trip to Latin America, and his aides insist there is no need to cut it short. Today is the family's only full day in Rio de Janeiro. Tomorrow, he flies to Chile, then on to El Salvador. Ari Shapiro, NPR News, traveling with the president in Brazil.

Japanese officials say they've made some progress in their attempts to cool reactors 8 at the quake-damaged Fukushima plant. They say the least troublesome units are under control after nuclear fuel storage pools finally cooled to safe levels. But the safety of food and water remains 9 their concern.

This is NPR News from Washington.

The European Court of Human Rights has overturned an earlier court ruling, saying that crucifixes in public classrooms in Italy do not violate a student's freedom of conscience. NPR's Sylvia Poggioli reports from Rome the crucifix debate has divided European Catholic countries from their more secular 10 neighbors that observe strict separation of church and state.

The case was brought before the Strasbourg-based court by a Finnish woman living in Italy who objected to [the] crucifixes in her children's classrooms, arguing they violate freedom of conscience. In a 2009 ruling, the court sided with the woman, saying crucifixes in public schools could be disturbing to non-Christian or atheist 11 pupils. Italy appealed and had the support of more than a dozen countries including Poland, Russia, Ukraine and Bulgaria that had all suffered religious persecution 12 under Communism. On appeal, the court said Italy has done nothing wrong and found no evidence the display of crucifixes in classrooms might have influence on pupils. The Vatican hailed what it called a historic ruling, while the plaintiff's lawyer Massimo Albertin said it showed the Vatican is too strong for individuals. Sylvia Poggioli, NPR News, Rome.

The US Coast Guard is looking into what's causing a sheen in the Gulf 13 of Mexico. Officials say they're collecting samples to determine exactly what it is. They're also trying to determine how large an area the substance covers. One Coast Guard official tells the Associated Press it was first reported as an oil sheen. But they have not confirmed that it's oil.

New York appears to be cracking down on tour bus operators following last weekend's bus crash in the Bronx that killed 15. A state official says a single checkpoint in Friday's sting operation resulted in 14 out of 14 buses ordered off the road.